Bread Pudding
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With buttery challah, a splash of bourbon, and a golden, caramelized top, this bread pudding is pure comfort and perfect for making ahead.
Bread pudding might’ve started as a way to use up stale bread, but today it reigns as the king of cozy desserts. Chunks of bread soak in a rich custard of eggs, milk, sugar, and butter, turning simple ingredients into something truly special.
Once known as “poor man’s pudding,” this version—made with challah bread and a splash of bourbon—is anything but humble. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, and it would be right at home on the dessert menu of a nice restaurant.
You can prep this dessert recipe the night before and pop it in the oven when it’s time to serve. And if you’re looking to mix things up, give my chocolate bread pudding and apple rum raisin bread pudding a try.
“I have made this 4 times in as many weeks! Two friends recovering from surgeries, neighbors, and my own family have loved it. Comfort food at its best.”
Homemade Bread Pudding Ingredients
- Eggs: These are the base of the custard that give the pudding its structure and rich, custardy texture.
- Whole Milk: Makes the pudding creamy and keeps it perfectly moist.
- Sugar: Sweetens the pudding. I use white granulated sugar but you can also swap in half brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture.
- Bourbon: Brings subtle notes of caramel and vanilla, adding depth without making the dessert taste boozy.
- Cinnamon: A warm, cozy spice that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the pudding.
- Vanilla: Boosts the flavor with its sweet, fragrant notes in a classic bread pudding.
- Challah or Brioche Cubes: These soft, slightly sweet breads are perfect for bread pudding. They soak up the custard like a dream and bake up with a rich, fluffy texture that makes the whole thing feel extra indulgent.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Bread Pudding from scratch
Step 1: Make the custard base. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sugar, melted butter, bourbon, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.
Step 2: Add the bread. Stir in the challah cubes until they’re evenly coated with the custard. Pour everything into a greased baking dish and let it sit for at least an hour to give the bread time to soak it all up. (You can also cover and refrigerate it overnight if you’re making it ahead.) While it rests, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 3: Bake and serve. Bake the pudding for about 1 hour, until the top is golden and puffy and the center is set. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
You can make this dessert the day before and let it rest overnight in the fridge—perfect if you’re planning to serve it for brunch. Bread pudding also keeps well: leftovers can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to three months. Reheat individual slices in the microwave, or enjoy them cold straight from the fridge!
More Cozy Dessert Recipes You May Like
Bread Pudding
Easy, delicious, and a total crowd-pleaser—this bourbon-spiked bread pudding is the perfect cozy night-in treat or comforting holiday dessert.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (packed) challah or brioche cubes, from one loaf (about 9 oz)
Vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, sugar, melted butter, bourbon, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and whisk until evenly combined. Mix in the challah cubes. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and let stand at least 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden and puffy and the center is set. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread pudding can be assembled and refrigerated overnight. It can also be frozen, after baking, for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat in a 300°F-oven until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (Nutritional info does not include ice cream - 8 servings)
- Calories: 305
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 29 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 249 mg
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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The instruction to “Preheat the oven to 350°F” should come as a final step, not as the first step. As written, the empty oven would remain heated to 350°F for at least one hour – or even overnight — before the pudding is put in it. Really? Careless editing.
Hi Roddy, I agree that the preheating instruction should come later in the recipe and will update it accordingly. Thanks for pointing it out.
Jenn, I was a bit harsh at grading your recipe so low. The misplaced “start your oven” advice is used by many chefs, not just you. I’m glad to see that you fixed it. The actual pudding was very good, definitely 4 or 5 star.
I made this again today… for the 3rd time this winter. As the weather is getting warmer here in eastern Canada, my family will have to wait until fall for more of this deliciousness! I added 1/2 cup of raisins that I soaked in the 2tbsp of bourbon listed in recipe. Thank you!
Hi Jenn,
After removing from the refrigerator should the bread pudding come to room temperature before baking? Also, did you bake this in a pie dish?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris, no need to bring it to room temperature before baking. And I did make mine in a pie dish, but any 2-quart dish will work. Hope you enjoy!
We love your bread puddings, especially the chocolate one… How would you make a Bananas Foster bread pudding (like Sullivan’s Steak house serves)? My husband love it and I’d like to make it for his birthday. Thanks!
Hi Karen, I’ve never been to Sullivan’s but you could add sliced bananas to either bread pudding and replace the bourbon with rum. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it!
Jenn, I have made this 4 times in as many weeks! Two friends recovering from surgeries, neighbors, and my own family have loved it. Comfort food at its best. Love your recipes. 💕
I am looking to make this dessert for St. Patrick’s Day. Please give me suggestions for the bourbon to be used. I don’t want the most expensive but do want to be able to serve as a drink for those who drink bourbon. By the way I love your recipes. Yours is the first site I go to when meal planning.
Hi Ellen, Thanks for the nice words about the recipes — so glad you like them! I use Ancient Age bourbon. Hope everyone enjoys the bread pudding!
My family of eight loves it!
This was so good! I made it ahead of time and after an hour I realized I forgot the milk. I pulled it out of the fridge and added the milk, then put it back. Baked it for 60 minutes at 350. It was brown on the sides and pulling seats, and somewhat firm in the middle. The pudding was somewhat runny but I think that was from my milk mistake. Would you think that was the case and was safe to eat? Either way we gobbled it up.
Hi Samantha, So glad you enjoyed it! Yes I do think adding the milk later may have caused it to be a bit runny, as it may not have been fully incorporated with the eggs. But I’m sure it was still safe to eat. 🙂
This was very good the day I made it and even better the following day.
I made this for dessert on Christmas Day. I started it on Christmas Eve. Wow!! Like all of your recipes this turned out perfect. I am making it again, going to try to make single serving freezer for my kids to take back to University.
Do you think I could substitute Fireball cinnamon whiskey for the bourbon, and skip the actual cinnamon? Thanks!
Hi Julie, it will give the bread pudding a different flavor, but it will work. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!